A Monkey's Journey
by dlamp
Summary: A look at Eileen after the fifth World Fighting Tournament, and the events that follow. Unfortunately she was beaten the first round of the tournament, but what happens after that...
1. Chapter 1

It was the second time Eileen had seen a martial arts demonstration by Pai Chan, and she was once again amazed by what she witnessed. Never did she think that she'd be so captivated by a mere demonstration, but this was definitely an exception. To be able to see _the_ Pai Chan in action was always something to behold. Eileen had only seen her in movies; she was actually a big fan of them. To see the star herself perform all the cool moves Eileen had only seen in the big screen live just took her breath away. It was just like the first time she watched Pai in a demonstration, it was so inspiring to watch her.

"Wow…" Pai's movements were both fluid and powerful. Each step she took, each blow she threw was captivating and had weight behind it, Eileen could tell. It was _so_ worth it to skip practice at her grandfather's martial art studio. Once Pai finished the last motions of her form and was in a basic stance, the crowd applauded. Eileen joined in with them.

She was amazed that Pai was even in China to begin with. There was no announcement of her being in the area, no posters, nothing. As if out of comic book, Eileen just caught Pai performing and a crowd of those who recognized her gathered. It was weird really. Her last demonstration had a lot of advertising behind it, but this one was just way too random. There was no stage or anything, just Pai performing in front of the crowd. Well, it was still a treat to see regardless.

"Ah, thank you everyone, I'm glad you enjoyed the demonstration." Pai said with a bow to the audience. "There's a movie coming out this month I'll be starring in, I'd appreciate you all seeing it." Eileen definitely would. She had seen all of Pai's movies on opening day and saved all the tickets as a token, she wouldn't miss this one for the world.

After a few more seconds of applaud, the crowd dispersed. Most went on with their business, but some came up to Pai and asked for autographs or just meet the legend herself, Eileen was among the latter.

"Miss Chan, that was really awesome!" She said, approaching her idol once the rest had left. "It was just like in the films!" Pai smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, I'm glad you liked it."

"Why are you all the way out here in China anyway? I thought you were mostly in Hong Kong?" Eileen was truly curious about this. It wasn't everyday your idol just happened to be in town. There just _had_ to be some big, important reason.

"Ah, well…" Pai's smile grew sheepish before she began to explain. "The movie coming out is my last one before I go on a hiatus to train." She explained. "I'd rather not go into detail, but it's family-related." That was unexpected. It was hard to remember such a big star had family too. She rarely talked about it in the interviews or special appearances Eileen caught on TV. Now she felt bad to asking.

"Oh, I'm sorry for prying Miss Chan! I was just curious!" Eileen lowered her head in apology.

"It's fine, it's fine. No need to apologize." Pai's lifted Eileen's chin so their eyes could meet. Eileen's face instantly turned red. _The_ Pai Chan was actually touching her, and she actually looked concerned about her. The girl staggered back from the shock.

"U-Um… Uh… I, um…" She was at a loss for words. She tried to say something, but nothing would come out, just stutters and mumbles. _Come Eileen, say **something**! Anything!_ "I… um… I do martial arts too, my, um, grandfather taught me Monkey Kung Fu s-since I was little." She stammered out, looking away. "I've traveled with an opera troupe to improve my skills too, though I mostly just help with practices…" She looked down as she spoke; fearful of sounding like a hyperactive fan girl. "I-I also entered the World Fighting Tournament, you were actually a big reason why… but…" She frowned after she said that and shied away even more. She regretted telling Pai about that. It wasn't like they met during the tournament or anything. "Well, I just need to train more." When she looked back up at Pai she saw a small smile on her face. Was she seriously impressed by that?

"I see," Pai said, walking a little closer to Eileen. "In that case, mind having a practice match?" Eileen's jaw dropped. Did she hear that right? Did martial arts superstar Pai Chan actually ask _her_ for a match? She tried, she really did try to hold it back, but a loud, high pitch squeal came out moments after Pai's request. She immediately covered her mouth and looked around. That outburst got them a lot of look. Eileen once again lowered her head in apology.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry about that!"

"Again, it's fine." Though Pai's face was a little red from all the attention she just got. "So, do we have a match?" Eileen's eyes lit up with fire. She'd probably get her butt handed to her, but she'd be damned if she was going pass on this chance to show off her skills to Pai. She'd be able to do what she wanted to in the tournament. What luck! It's like the heavens came together to bring Pai to Eileen solely for this.

"Of course! I know the perfect place too!" Eileen's grandfather a studio in the area that should be finishing up classes for the day. They could fight there without any unwanted attention and without reserve. "Come on, I'll lead the way!" With that, she began jogging to her grandfather's martial studio with Pai right on her heels.

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**Author's Notes**: Well, this is my first fan-fiction after years of not writing a fan-fictions. Hopefully I'll actually finish this one. Anyway, hey there everyone, Dlamp here, you can just call me Allen if you want. This is (hopefully) the first chapter of A Monkey's Journey. I'm really excited about it. This first chapter is just a warm-up to what I hope becomes a series of intense fights, growing friendships and rivalries, character development, and tons of yuri undertones through Eileen's perspective. The fic itself takes place after VF5, and on the assumption that Eileen lost pretty early in the tournament. I'd assume so given her youth. Aoi lost the first round in VF3 if the wiki's right, and she was Eileen's age at the time.

I think Eileen's a good character to write for in my case since I'm very new to the series of VF and haven't kept up with the games. I really want to go into more about Eileen's time in an Chinese Opera troupe and Pai's acting career, but I know very little about the topic of Chinese Operas and martial arts movie acting. Anyone want to help out with that please don't be afraid to send me some links or just general info. Any basics on Chinese culture and etiquette would be nice too since Eileen's, y'know, Chinese and everything. I'll do as much research as I can, but I can't make promises on the characters being culturally accurate. I hope to fix that though.


	2. Chapter 2

"So that fight scene took _two months_?"

"Yes, it took a lot of time just to get the rhythm down. And we got tired after so many takes, so some sessions were just twenty or thirty takes of the same scene before we called it a day."

"Wow... I didn't know martial arts movies we so complicated." After a while of jogging and walking Eileen and Pai had reached the martial arts studio of Eileen's grandfather. It was called a studio, but it was really just a small warehouse. Eileen's grandfather usually had classes outside, with a few indoor sessions for nights or rainy days. And sadly, they were still having classes by the time the two got there. Eileen's grandfather scolded her for a few minutes for missing practice soon after. She doubted he would let them use the studio after that, so they had to find a new place to fight. "Sorry again Miss Chan." Eileen said, hanging her head.

"It's alright, I'm fine having our match anywhere." Pai moved closer to Eileen, crouching to her level and giving an encouraging smile when she looked up at her. Eileen's face turned bright red from how close her idol was right now. It was _still_ unbelievable that Pai was actually willing to do this for her.

"Um, well there's a park right over there? Think we can just fight there?" She gestured to the park across the street. It wouldn't be too hard to find a space to have a match. Heck, the World Fighting Tournament had fights take place in weirder place.

"Yes, that'll do just fine." The two of them made tracks to the park and found a space to fight. A few people were around, mostly some kids playing, a few people doing walks, some doing Tai Chi. Yeah, this place would do.

The two soon began stretching to loosen themselves up once they found spot. "Um Miss Chan, why did you want to have a match with me anyway?" It was something she wondered in the back of her mind for a while now. Pai was a movie star and seemed to be a little busy, so… why have an unofficial match with some random kid? Not that she didn't want this or anything, but she didn't think her one fantasy would happen so fast. And sure she was a good fighter and was in the World Fighting Tournament, but… she didn't think Pai would even bother with some nobody like her.

"You seemed disappointed when you were talking about your background and training." Pai explained as she continued stretching. "I just… saw a little of myself in you. I first entered the World Fighting Tournament when I was around your age and I lost pretty badly myself. Heh, I didn't know if I was crying afterwards because I lost or from my injuries." She gave a small chuckle. "If it wasn't for my movie career taking off soon after I think I would had lost it."

So Pai actually struggled in previous tournaments. Well, she obviously hadn't won a tournament yet, but she seemed to do well in them from what Eileen saw. Guess the media tried to make all the fighters look good in that case. Heck, there might be some hope for her then. "I can't imagine you losing _that _badlyMiss Chan. You look really amazing in your movies, and in the tournaments too." She was even in that other really popular tournament too, Dead or… something or other, Eileen couldn't recall the name that well.

"Anyway," Pai continued. "I figured a cute girl like you could use a little confidence boost given how upset you looked, hope you don't mind." Eileen's face went red from Pai's compliment, and she immediately shook her head and stood up.

"No way! Thanks for caring so much Miss Chan!" She remained silent for a while, not knowing what to say next. "Um… well I'm all stretched and ready to go, are you ready Miss Chan?" Pai gave a nod and stood as well, getting into her fighting stance, Eileen followed suit. "Don't hold back!" She said, giving a few swipes at the air.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Pai replied, and the fight was on.

Eileen started the fight off with high energy. She was aggressive, sending a flurry of swipes and punches at Pai that she easily dodged, blocked, and deflected. She got a few hits in, but nothing decisive or damaging. Pai barely sent any counter strikes, staying on defensive. Most of the counters she threw at Eileen weren't decisive either. It quickly started to annoy Eileen after a minute or so. Pai said she wouldn't hold back, it was pretty clear she was being purposefully defensive as the match went on. "Gr…" Eileen pouted at the actor, irritated at her defensiveness. She crouched down and tried to hook her foot around Pai leg to trip her up, but Pai kicked her leg away, throwing Eileen off balance. "Wah!" Eileen fell flat on her butt, pouting even more at Pai. She still didn't attack her, despite how open Eileen was. "Hey, be serious!" She complained, dusting herself off.

"I… thought I was?" Pai stared blankly at Eileen for a moment, then walked over and help her up.

"You're being _way_ too defensive! You've barely attacked me at all and never follow-up any of your attacks!" She looked away from Pai, puffing her cheeks in a childish manner. "What? Think I can't take it? That's totally insulting me y'know?" She didn't hear Pai said anything to that, so she continue. "Don't treat me like some newbie, I've trained for a really long time, I can handle whatever you throw at me!"

The two were quiet after that. Eileen still didn't look at Pai, but mostly out of embarrassment once she realized what she'd done. She just yelled at her idol. Oh crap this was bad. She knew Pai was just trying to be a good sport and all, but she was just agitated by the back and forward with no one having an advantage after so long. It just wasn't the kind of fight she wanted. _Oh crap, oh crap. I messed up, I messed up sooooo bad._ She thought, her cheeks turning bright pink from the agonizing silence. She started to hear Pai's footsteps move closer to her and then a sigh. She was just centimeters away from Eileen, she could practically feel her breathing. She was in a cold sweat now.

"Hey… Eileen," Eileen slowly turned her head, her eyes facing the ground as she was felt too embarrassed to look at her idol. She didn't sound mad, so… maybe she understood.

"Y-Yes Miss Chan?" Eileen had expected Pai to yell at her, to scold her, to say she was being a child, the usual lecture she got from her grandfather.

She did not, however, expect Pai's palm to slam into her face. It wasn't a slap either, it was a fast, hard-hitting palm strike that caught Eileen right on the cheek and made her stagger back. "What the-?!" Eileen's hand went to her cheek. It stung, it was sore, it hurt, and it infuriated Eileen. "Hey!"

"Well, you wanted me to start attacking you." Pai reply innocently, though her face was giving an almost arrogant expression. "Don't treat me like some newbie,' that's what you said." Now Eileen was fuming. She quickly got back into her fighting stance and went on all fours, slamming her shoulder into Pai's legs and knocking her down.

"Hah! That'll teach you to underestimate me!" She said, sticking out her tongue at the actress. Okay, so this wasn't the best way to make a good impression, but it was about time Pai started taking her seriously. Sure Eileen wasn't some super skilled kung fu expert, but she was still a fighter, and a pretty good one for her age. "Kya kya,I guess all that acting you do is just that!" She teased, hopping up and down a little to get backing into the monkey mindset.

"Ugh, you asked for it now!" Pai hopped right back up and got back into her stance, then beckoned Eileen to attack her again. It looked like she was ready to fight for real. "Come at me if you want to taste the ground!" Hey, Eileen recognized that line, it from one of Pai's older movies. It made Eileen give a small smile. So that's how she wanted to play it.

"Hehehe! 'It'll be you that's on the ground tasting dirt and defeat!'" Eileen shot back, quoting the villain's line. "Let's go!"

The two continued their fight for about ten more minutes. It was much more serious this time around. Pai no longer was defensive, she attacked Eileen with the ferocity and grace that made her movies so great. Eileen didn't pull her punches either, she was like an actual monkey, crawling and darting around Pai, scratching and kicking at her with almost feral resolve. Even some of the people in the park started watching them now. After all, who could resist seeing a famous martial arts star going all out on a kid that was actually holding her own? Of course, with Pai being more aggressive, Eileen took a lot more hits than she got in. At the end of the fight she was definitely beaten soundly, now laying on the ground covered in bruises all over her. She got a few hits on Pai, but it was clear who the winner was. Pai was thankfully a good sport and helped her up.

After the fight the small crowd (or now large as more people came as the fight progressed) clapped and cheered for them. The two looked at each other, then at their audience. They both smiled and bowed to them, then at each other, and the crowd dispersed. _Wow… that was so cool! _Eileen thought, taking a seat on the ground. It was exactly like one of the kung fu movies she had seen. She got to fight her idol in front of a cheering crowd, and hopefully won her favor.

"Hah… hah… thanks for fighting me Miss Chan." She said between pants.

"My pleasure Eileen. You're very strong for your age." Pai replied. "We should fight again after you get stronger."

"Can we?! I won't lose next time, so you really better not hold back!" Eileen grinned and laughed a little, Pai joining in. "Um… I guess I should get going then." She shakily stood back up and began walking away, waving good-bye to her idol. "Bye Miss Chan! Please come to my grandfather's studio and fight me again sometime!"

"Will do! Good bye Eileen!"

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**Author's Notes**: Wow, over 1,700 words this time around... why can't my essays be this easy? Anyway, here's chapter 2 after much waiting, thank you for being patience guys! It was kind of hard to me to write a good fight scene, I had to play and watch Eileen and Pai gameplay for days, and even then I just got... this. Also, I did a little digging into Chinese etiquette and learned a few things. The main things being that affectionate touching and pointing are seen as really rude in China, so... I had to do some editing after I learned that. I'm gonna' keep that in mind as I do the next few chapters. It's gonna' be kind of hard, but... I'll try. Again, anyone wanting to help me out in the cultural and etiquette department is more than welcomed too. I'm thinking Eileen will meet Lei Fei or Aoi in the next chapter. I really want Eileen to travel, but keeping things in China is just easier on the side of plot... I don't know.

In any case, hopefully the next chapter won't take forever. Feel free to give me some ideas, this fanfic wasn't exactly planned with a direct plot anything yet.


End file.
